1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine of the piston and cylinder type and more particularly to an improved spherical rotary valve assembly for use with a rotary valve internal combustion engine for the introduction of the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder and the evacuation of exhaust gases.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an internal combustion engine of the piston and cylinder type, it is necessary to charge the cylinder with a fuel/air mixture for the combustion cycle and to vent or evacuate the exhaust gases at the exhaust cycle of each cylinder of the engine. In the conventional piston and cylinder type engines, these events occur thousands of times per minute per cylinder. In the conventional internal combustion engine, the rotation of a cam shaft causes a spring-loaded valve to open to enable the fuel and air mixture to flow from the carburetor to the cylinder and combustion chamber during the induction stroke. This cam shaft closes this intake valve during the compression and combustion stroke of the cylinder and the same cam shaft opens another spring-loaded valve, the exhaust valve, in order to evacuate the cylinder after compression and combustion have occurred. These exhaust gases exit the cylinder and enter the exhaust manifold.
The hardware associated with the efficient operation of conventional internal combustion engines having spring-loaded valves includes such items as springs, cotters, guides, rocker shafts and valves themselves which are usually positioned in the cylinder head such that they normally operate in a substantially vertical position with their opening descending into the cylinder for the introduction or venting or evacuation of gases.
As the revolution of the engine increase, the valves open and close more frequently and the timing and tolerances become critical in order to prevent the inadvertent contact of the piston with an open valve which can cause serious engine damage. With respect to the aforementioned hardware and operation, it is normal practice for each cylinder to have one exhaust valve and one intake valve with the associated hardware mentioned heretofore; however, many internal combustion engines have now progressed to multiple valve systems, each having the associated hardware and multiple cam shafts.
In the standard internal combustion engine, the cam shaft is rotated by the crankshaft by means of a timing belt or chain. The operation of this cam shaft and the associated valves operated by the cam shaft presents the opportunity to decrease engine efficiency through friction associated with the operation of the various elements.
Applicant has developed a rotary valve assembly for use with internal combustion engines; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,261; 4,953,527; 4,989,558 and 4,976,232. Applicant's spherical rotary valve assembly eliminates much of the hardware associated with the conventional and standard poppet valve assembly used in conventional automobiles. The advantages of Applicant's spherical rotary valves have been set forth in the prior cited United States patents.
Not only do the spherical rotary valves of Applicant reduce the number of parts required for the operation of an internal combustion engine, but Applicant's spherical rotary valves increase efficiency and decrease emissions.
The present application is directed towards an improved spherical rotary valve for use with Applicant's assembly which allows the intake valve to be fed with a fuel/air mixture from both sides of the intake valve in order to improve the breathing of the engine and the charging of the cylinder with the fuel/air mixture; and permits the exhaust valve to be evacuated from both sides of the valve to improve the evacuation of the spent mixture and to simultaneously decrease the operating temperature of the exhaust rotary valve to further decrease emissions.